My Ongoing Hobbit Kit

[jbook]

So as a I've been putting together my Hobbit kit over the past year I have been thinking of about the "skills" of a Hobbit. They differ greatly from that of the Ranger culture. They were not skilled woodsman or great warriors. So I have been thinking of my skills as a non adventure going Hobbit.

I've been researching 18th Century trades. I could learn to do a great many things.
-Cooper
-Blacksmith
-Glass maker
-Baker
-Brewer
-Gardener
and many many more.

I have decided that my first step is to take up gardening. I have always had an interest in it and I think this would make for a great time to do it. I'm in the market now for antique gardening tools.

I would very much like any thoughts on gardening or advice that anyone would be interested in giving. I am more interested in Flowers than in vegetables. I wouldn't mind doing both but I would like to start with flower gardening.

[Ringulf]

I would think that in the gardening world there is ample room for both, though just as in many other pursuits there are levels of interest. I can grow nothing but mold personolly but I love being in gardening and around it and think it as noble a pursuit as warefare ever thought of being. Getting close to the earth and nature, providing rather than protecting, and learning to see the beauty intrinsic in nature should be the rounding experience of any warrior and seems to me to be the soul of the peacful agrarian Hobbit.

My Grandmother was an avid (possibly even ardent) gardener. She used to tell me that the kitchen garden was the kindergarden. The subsistance level of growing things that was the proving ground for all other gardening. along with that she felt her next level was herbal and medicinal gardening, as it was so vital to the needs of the family and comunity at large. She then would feel that large scale farming would be the industrial equivalent as pertained to the skill. Cultivation and arrangement of flowers however in the ornimental sense was to her, and I feel to many an art. It has all the elements of gardening and uses that as its base, but adds the esthetic nature of color and texture and placement, arranging in the earth, that is around the grounds and once cut in static arrangements, which can be very beautiful and time consuming but are short lived and as such must be appreciated almost sacraficially.

I think it is wonderful for you to be starting this and I know it will help your characterization. I would hope you may pass on to some herbs and such as they can be grown in a very small area even in doors in some cases.

If that does become the case I hope our friend Herbcraft jumps on and adds his views as well.

BTW we could use some folk that might do a bit of specialty farming as concerns "Pipeweed" I would think that specialty tobacco farming and processing could be like a micro brewery to this type of study!

Does anyone in the group already do this? Any of you Mid Atlantic/Southern Atlantic folk perhaps?

[Greg]

Just to throw this out there, another thing I've talked with Jake about doing for Hobbit personas is Mushroom Hunting. It is HUGE in Indiana and I have a friend out here who's going to show me the ins and outs this next April for the one month season thereof. Should be fun!

[Frothgar]

Be extremely careful with picking wild mushrooms. Even experts make mistakes, and mistakes with musrooms can be deadly. Definately go for it, but be carefull and sober in your approach. Get a copy of the mushroom hunters field guide.

Also, the one word i associate most with hobits is agrarian. I wouldnt consider them to be very practicle. They are never far from home or shelter so they would have little use for multi purpose tools. Look for specialized garden tools and eating utensiles, like a fancy dining set turned up to eleven. Plus, a belt puch for a hobbit should always contain a spoon and knife, for those impromtu meals.

Hope that helps.

Frothgar

[Greg]

"This food is delicious!"

"The plates are an eleven."

Frothgar, that just made my day.

Yeah, Mushrooms. Mushrooms scare the crap out of me. One of the park rangers I used to work with is a botanist, and even he had eaten a poisonous mushroom before. I vowed I'd never touch them, but I spent some time looking through a field guide with this new acquaintance of mine, and he pointed out the big ones they hunt for in April, which are unique, unlike any other, and look very obviously like brains. Not too appetizing sounding, but at least they're obvious, and I have about 20 years of mushroom-hunting experience to be learning from. It'll be a fun hobbity adventure, and we'll be sure to take pics.

[Willrett]

morels is what that sounds like, little whiteish mushrooms. They taste amazing alot or people I know fry them in alittle butter. I chop em up to in everything.

Make sure you have a copy of the book with you so you can double check everything. I plan on going a bunch this spring.

[Ringulf]

If you ever get the chance and are in the area there is an actual Mushroom Museum and farm store not to far out of Lancaster. I used to take my kids there on feild trips when I was homeschooling them. It has a great shop and I picked up a feild guide and a cookbook that I still use to this day and are both excellent.
That is great mushroom country around there and the comercial industry in that area was pretty good a number of years ago.

[armchair]

There is a mushroom called the false morel, and it is poisonous. Once you've seen one and had it identified for you, though, you'll never mistake it for a real morel.

Dip morels in beaten egg, roll them in flour, and fry them.

[Peter Remling]

Hog raising is one thing a Hobbit might do. It would be an expensive start up and they're very bright so keeping then where they are supposed to be kept can be an issue.

Chicken farming is an option. I'd suggest a lesser known early breed or possibly try some back breeding.

Building a coop is relatively cheap as are the rest of the start up costs.

[Odigan]

On gardening, you may wish to view some of the images from the Opus ruralium commodorum by
Piero de' Crescenzi from 1495. Full plates are viewable here, with some selections below. Crescenzi has been referred to as the founder of modern agronomy.

The Crescenzi calendar:

[Greg]

On the subject of hobbit Kit, particularly Jake's, I came across this last night in FOTR, and thought I'd throw it out here in the event anyone was considering developing a hobbit kit at some point. In short, Jake's hit it on the head.

Ref: Fog on the Barrow Downs, after rescue by Bombadil

"'Dressed up like this, sir?' said Sam. 'Where are my clothes?' He flung his circlet, belt, and rings on nthe grass, and looked round helplessly, as if he expected to find his cloak, jacket, and breeches, and other hobbit-garments lying somewhere to hand."

Cloak, Jacket, and Breeches?




I know it's been agreed upon that everyone liked Jake's hobbit kit, but I just wanted to point out that it strictly follows the book, to a T, and is completely legit. Bravo.

[Ringulf]

Absolutely! a fine hobbit kit and very well done. Don't forget that is is mentioned that they also loved brightly colored vests and waistcoats and in them often kept their Pocket handkerchiefs!

They also mentioned hats and noted that hoods and capes were somewhat odd and made them look like Dwarves except for the lack of beards...

(yes I am sorry Jake he does mention twice in the first several chapters the hobbits lack of beardage! I however really like yours and do not think it a detriment whatsoever to your persona! Perhaps some had them and it was said of the Stoors, especially those down in the southfarthing and the Marrish, that they grew "wiskers" such as the long sideburns and muttonchops we see often in pictures. If they did that what is to say that exeptional individuals who could do so and have some admiration for the Khazad, might not try to do so themselves? Sounds adventursome and somewhat "Tookish to me!)

[Greg]

The stoors are precisely why Jake hasn't bothered to shave his off, I believe. I daresay he's one of those Tookish hobbits that would oft be frowned upon for his strange, "big-worldly" ways.

[Ringulf]

Bravo! I support that 100%! And feel an emmediate frienliness toward one of the little folk that would sport such a symbol of honor and respect!

[jbook]

In the Prologue of Fellowship in the section "Concerning Hobbits", it says "the DOWN on their chins" talking of the East Farthing Hobbits. And that they also wore dwarven boots in muddy weather.